KARACHI, April 8: A long-awaited revival in sporting links between Pakistan and India will kick off in South Africa next month with a two-match football series, an official said Monday.

A Pakistan Football Federation official said the matches would be played at Durban on May 12 and 17.

The fixtures are the first major sporting encounter between the South Asian nuclear rivals since they clashed in the President Gold Cup hockey final in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in March last year.

“We had hopes that football will break the ice since the sponsors were keen to arrange a football series and, since there are many Pakistani and Indian expats in Durban, the matches will attract large crowds,” the official said.

India cut off sporting relations with Pakistan after the Kashmir conflict in 1999 but took a step towards restoring ties when it sent its Olympic Association President Suresh Kalmadi to Islamabad for discussions last month.

Cricket has been badly hit with the two countries not meeting on a cricket field since an Asian Cup league game in Dhaka almost two years ago.

India had stunned the United Arab Emirates 1-0 in a football World Cup qualifying match.

SYDNEY: FIFA vice-president Chung Mong-joon has launched another stinging attack on soccer’s world boss Sepp Blatter, saying the president had to be removed if the sport was to regain its image after months of scandal.

In an interview broadcast on Australian television Monday, Chung reiterated his support for Cameroon’s Issa Hayatou to take over from Blatter in the top job at next month’s election.

“I think Issa Hayatou can introduce new leadership to FIFA,” said Chung, who had considered running against Blatter himself before lending his support to the African.—AFP/Reuters